Sleep is good, books are better
On this day in 1830, a poem (later a nursery rhyme) Mary Had a Little Lamb, by Sarah Hale was published. Later in the decade Lowell Mason set the poem to a melody adding repetition in the verses. The poem was the first thing recorded by Thomas Edison on his newly invented phonograph in 1878... Continue Reading →
Today is the anniversary of the death of Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856 - 1925). Haggard was a Norfolk born English writer famous for his adventure stories, but he also wrote non fiction. His two most popular books were King Solomon's Mines (1885) and She (1886). A Rider Haggard Society (UK) was formed in 1985.... Continue Reading →
The Monk is gothic horror fiction that was written in 10 weeks by the 19 year old Matthew Gregory Lewis in 1796. From the Back Cover: Hugely influential on writers as diverse as Victor Hugo and Jane Austen, this is an important keystone of modern popular fiction that lay readers and scholars alike will find... Continue Reading →
Listen here for an interview with Roger Luckhurst by Oxford Academic (OUP) on H. Rider Haggard and King Solomon's Mines. Roger was editor of the Oxford World's Classics edition of King Solomon's Mines. About 16 minutes long - I found it enjoyable and enlightening. About the author: Roger Luckhurst has written widely on Victorian popular fiction,... Continue Reading →
In Our Time, BBC Radio 4. A discussion of Tess of the D'urbervilles. On iPlayer https://uk.pinterest.com/longvictorian2/thomas-hardy/
The Long Victorian 